Envelope-tablet



'(ModeL) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

H. PHIL-LIPS.

ENVELOPE TABLET.

No. 385,320; Patented June 26, 1888 minesses Inventor,

Units ra'rns a'rnnr tries...

HIRAM PHILLIPS, OF COLUMBIA, ASSIG-NOR TO KIRTLEY 8t PHILLIPS, OF

BOONE COUNTY, MISSOURI.

ENVELOPE-TA BLET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385.320, dated June 26, 1888.

Serial Nc.117.575. (ModclJ T0 aZZ whom, it; may concern:

Be it known that I, HTRAM PHILLIPS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Columbia, in the county of Boone and State of Mis: souri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Tablets, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of this package or tablet closed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same open, looking down on the edge of the envelopes. Fig. 3 is an edge view of the same as in position for use. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the package or tablet provided simply with a blotter and its connecting cover. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the same, showing how the entire pack of envel opes can be addressed without severing any one from the pack.

This invention. has for its object to provide for sale and use a package of envelopes suitably secured together at its edges and having combined therewith a cover and a blotter, all as will hereinafter be fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A denotes a pack of envelopes containing any desired number of en velopes, the envelopes being of any desired size or shape. About this package is placed a wrapper, B, which is composed of a back ing, 2) b, and a stiff cover, I), and a blotter, b The edges of the envelopes, preferably the rear, are attached to the backing Z) by gumniing, like paper in the ordinary tablet. To the extended edge of the backing b is attached the stiff cover b, which is of the size of the envelopes, and adapted by its attachment to be freely lifted up and swung back on the opposite side, so as to come at one side of the pack.

The backing bis extended at I), which is of the same length as the envelope, so as to cover the back and the front edge, and then upon the upper front edges, where the blotter b is pasted or otherwise attached to it, and is thus adapted to be neatly folded beneath the stiff cover I).

It will be noticed that by attaching the en velopes to the backing in the manner above referred to the envelopes are brought into quite a compact relation each with the other upon the rear edge, but thefront edges evidently will flare apart more or less if not secured together.. In order, therefore, to bring the front edges into about as compact a rela 4 is turned down, as shown in Fig. 3, a very desirable supporter rest is afforded to the hand when the envelope is beingaddressed. When the envelope is addressed, it can be very easily detached from the package by simply placing one of the fingers of the hand under the free corner of the package and lifting the envelope, when it is easily freed from the gumming on the front and the rear edges.

In addressing a large number of envelopes it is evidently undesirable to be at the trouble of detaching each envelope as it is addressed, and in the present device this need not be done, because it will only be necessary to turn over each envelope, as shown in Fig. 5, as fast as it has been addressed, and thus each envelope can be addressed in its turn, and when the entire pack has been addressed each and all of the envelopes can be detached at almost a single movement of the hand. The blotter, it will be observed, is in the most convenient position for ready use. The cost of a package of envelopes done up in this way is but very little more than one done up in the ordinary manner, to wit, by a decorated band, or in some such way, requiring both time and expense, while among the advantages of doing the pack up in the manner which has been above described are that it makes the package very C0111- pact and provides it with a wrapper, whereby it is at all times protected from the dust, also affords a support for the hand in addressing the envelopes, and also provides ready means for blotting the address as soon as it is made. It

may not always be necessary, however, to provide the blotter, and in that event the thin part b of the wrapper is extended so as to fold neatly beneath the thick portion 1). Again, it may not be necessary to use the thick part of the wrapper b, and in that event the package is merely provided with the blotter N, attached, as has been above described, to the thin part b of the. wrapper, and in either event the package is entirely covered except at the narrow edges on each side.

In some instances it may be desirable, as is now shown at I) in Fig. 4, to widen the blotter a little, so as to have it extend down the edge of the envelopes. This construction would render it necessary to bend it at the edge of the envelopes; but it would render more certain the elevation of the blotter above the table when it is turned back-that is, when the blotter is turned back it would not fall down upon the table, but would be so held up as to be easily grasped by the fingers when it was desired to use it upon the face of the envelopes. Usually, by ordinary construction heretofore shown, this result is accomplished, but by extending the blotter, as now described, the end will be more certainly accomplished.

I am well aware that it has for a long time been a very common usage in the trade to provide letter and other writing tablets with a blotter adapted for use as each sheet has been written on. It is evident that in the mere details of constructing the present invention many changes can be made which will not in any way differ essentially from what I have set forth. For instance, the thick cover may be upon the under side of the package. The blotter may be attached to the thick cover. Instead of gumming the edges at the front and rear they may be gum med upon their side edges. Likewise the cover may extend around the package, leaving the long edges exposed;

but any of these changes, as it is obvious, will not depart from the nature or scope of the invention which has been above explained.

Having thus described my invention, what Iconsider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. An envelope-package consisting of the following elements, to wit: the envelopes provided at one edge with a gummed backing and a stiff cover hinged thereto and freely moving thereon, and a thin cover hinged to the backingon the opposite side of the stiff cover, passing around the bottom and front edge, and having a blotter attached to its edge, so as to be freely movedthereon.

2. A package of envelopes gumined and secured at the rear edge to a backing, b, and also at its front edge gummed and secured to a retaining-piece, If, whereby the package is held securely together in a very compact form.

3. In combination with a package of envelopes secured together at the front and rear, but so that each envelope can be easily separated from the pack, a hinged cover or piece adapted to be turned down in front and afford a hand-rest when addressing the envelope.

4. An envelope-package provided with a wrapper to which it is attached at the front and rear edges, and whereby it is completely surrounded and protected from dust, &e., at all points except at the side edges, substantially as described.

5. The envelope-package provided with a hand-rest to aid in addressing the envelopes, and also with a blotter, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Ialifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HIRAM PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

HOWARD DORSETT, SIMEoN BEAUFORD KIRTLEY. 

